Nightmare Of Freedom

George Orwell, no doubt an indelible figure in the history of the 20th British literature, is noted by his legendary life as well as the rich literary heritage he has left to us during his short life. In his political satire Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984), he shows great concern of the future of human being in a world of turmoil, presenting to us a full and vivid picture of totalitarianism with keen insight.Since its first publication, Nineteen Eighty-Four has offered a wide space for various interpretations. The present paper begins by an in-depth analysis and criticism of totalitarianism prevalent in Oceania, the mainland of a huge country. Through the description of the fates of the major characters in this novel, it points out that totalitarianism will certainly lead to total deconstruction of certain precious values, such as freedom, morality and truth. It has also analyzed people's life attitude in such an objective world, and interpreted the self-identification and self-destruction of the protagonist, Winston, in order to prove that totalitarianism is finally realized in Oceania. In the end, from the perspective of literature sociology, this paper analyzes the historical background, social and historical roots of the novel together with the author's personal experiences. It also makes some reflections on totalitarianism under the current context, hence viewing Nineteen Eighty-Four from a social and historical perspective.